Kaleidoscope
by Oriondruid
Summary: The day a young Horace Slughorn decided to help a destitute, sick and pregnant young witch he met by chance in The Leaky Cauldron was,  although nobody would ever know it , the most fortunate day in the entire history of Wizardry.


**Kaleidoscope.**

By Oriondruid.

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**Summary: **Tom Riddle had good reason to become what he did. But what if his early life had gone along another path entirely and his mother Merope had survived his birth and loved him? Perhaps even the worst of us has it in them to love?

The day a young Horace Slughorn decided to help a destitute, sick and pregnant young witch he met by chance in The Leaky Cauldron was, (although nobody would ever know it), the most fortunate day in the entire history of Wizardry. The world is like a kaleidoscope, one small twist and the pattern that emerges can become beautiful.

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Horace Slughorn had finished his morning's work in the potions loft of the Diagon Alley apothecary shop he worked for and wandered into The Leaky Cauldron for a spot of lunch. Whilst still a young man, having left Hogwarts only a few years back, his ample yet still athletic frame showed evidence of his good appetite and this day he was feeling particularly ravenous, having skipped breakfast. He walked up to the bar and asked the young barman Tom for a butterbeer to have with his lunch, ordered some food and surveyed the pub's lunchtime crowd. He saw many faces he knew and nodded to several. Others, that he did not recognise, he guessed were shoppers from outside London, come for a day out in the Alley.

Horace was very much a gregarious 'people person' and generally a good character judge. Whilst at Hogwarts, in Slytherin House, as well as being an outstanding student he had been at the centre of a small social clique of 'atypical' Slytherins, that is to say not the usual 'run of the mill' Pureblood fanatics all too typical in that House. Unusually for a Slytherin he had also made several friends in the other Hogwarts Houses as well. However, despite his 'people skills', in a dark corner at a small table drinking tea he spotted one person he couldn't quite fathom out. She was a young, fat, shabbily dressed and not very attractive looking witch. However, upon looking more closely, he could see that instead of being fat, as he had first thought, she was in fact malnourished looking, but in the late stages of pregnancy. She intrigued and concerned him, as she looked quite unwell and was coughing quite loudly. Horace, working as he did in medicine, thought he might be able to help her so he went over and introduced himself.

Walking up to the young woman's table he said, "Hello there young lady, I'm Horace Slughorn. That's a nasty cough you've got there, sorry but I couldn't help noticing. Perhaps I could sort you out a potion for it if you come with me to the Apothecary down the Alley after I've had my lunch. I work there and I think I've got something that may help.

The young woman looked up at him, at first with suspicion on her face, but seeing him her hostility softened, as the Slughorn charm he was known for at school seemed to reassure her that he meant no harm.

She replied in a strong West Country accent which let him know she was very new in town. "Thank you sir," she said. "You're the first person who's been kind to me since I got to London. Since I got here I've been sleeping rough in an old abandoned house off Knockturn Alley, cos I couldn't afford a room here. That's how I got this here chill, it's so cold and damp there see? I am feeling poorly, but I'm afraid I can't afford medicine."

"Nonsense," replied Horace, "Did I mention charging you? No, it'll be 'on the house', my boss owes me a favour for working overtime last weekend producing an urgent batch of blood replacement potion ordered for St. Mungo's. We'll soon get that cough of yours sorted out, don't you worry. Then we'll see about getting you into somewhere warm and dry to stop it coming back again. Can't have a young lady in your condition sleeping rough." Horace said kindly.

Just then Tom the barman brought over a plate of sausage and chips for Horace and he asked the young lady, "Is it okay if I sit with you to eat this, then we can go back to the shop."

The young woman stared longingly at his plate of food but said, "Yes of course you can sit here."

Seeing her hungry stare Horace turned and said to the barman, "Please bring another portion of this for the young lady, would you Tom, and charge it to my bill" Tom smiled at his kindness and nodded saying, "I'll get it right away Mr Slughorn."

Horace, despite feeling hungry himself, placed the original plate in front of the young woman and said, "Tuck in, I'll have the second lot, it'll be here soon. Tom's as good as his word and won't keep me waiting long." She spluttered her thanks then began to wolf down the food. Tom returned almost immediately and as they both ate Horace probed the young woman for her story and she slowly opened up to him, warming to his charm.

"What do they call you young lady and what brings you to the 'big bad city' ?"

"My maiden name was Merope Gaunt and I came here to try and start again after my marriage to a Muggle named Tom Riddle broke up. He rejected me and his unborn child although that was mostly my own fault, as I had not been honest with him. I tricked him into the marriage in the first place to get away from my hellish life at home, with my deranged father and brother. Anyway, that's why I came to London, as I thought I might turn my luck around here and that there'd be more opportunities for the kiddy when it's born. But ever since I got here I've had no luck at all and now I've run out of money. All I have left is an old family heirloom which I'd hoped to save for my child, but it looks like I'll have to sell it at Borgin & Burkes."

"Please don't do that Merope, I may call you Merope may I?

Of course you may, and may I call you Horace? Merope replied.

He replied, yes, of course, and as I was about to warn you, don't sell anything to Borgin & Burkes, especially if it's valuable. The people in that shop are utter thieves and they'll fleece you ragged over the price."

Horace continued, mumbling a little, almost to himself. "Gaunt, Gaunt, Now where have I heard that surname before? Oh, I remember, Professor Binns, our literally dead boring History of Magic Teacher. He droned on about the descendants of Salazar Slytherin one afternoon in class and the Gaunt family name was mentioned, but as far as I was able to pay attention he seemed to think the Gaunt line had died out."

"He's nearly right," Merope replied. "My father is a violent drunk who's only pride is in being a Pureblood descendant of Slytherin, and my brother is a half-insane moron, he'll never marry, no woman would have him. His only talent is in being a paseltongue, and he only uses that ability to lure snakes to the family shack and kill them. Once those two are gone there will be no more Gaunts, and this child will be given the name of the man who is the father. It'll be Tom or Thomasina Riddle, I want no more Gaunts infesting this world."

Merope then broke into another coughing fit and Horace didn't like the look of the sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Once she had finally stopped coughing he said, "Come along then Merope, I think it's time we go and see my boss Ebeneezer Stopes at the Apothecary shop, he's a nice old fellow and I'm sure he'll let me get you sorted out, that cough is nasty and I think you're running a fever, for the sake of both you and the child we'd best get you treated as soon as possible. I'll get him to give you something mild at the shop, just to help out with your breathing, then I'll ask him if he'll let me take you to St. Mungo's by floo and get them give you a thorough check-up.

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A few hours later Merope and Horace left the charity clinic at St. Mungo's after Merope had been checked out and given more and stronger potions of a sort suitable for a pregnant woman to take. She felt far better and said, "I don't know how to thank you Horace, you've been wonderful." Then kissed him on the cheek.

Horace flushed and then replied, "Now we need to find you a place to stay tonight, somewhere warm and dry. I believe Tom has a room at the pub that is not often let out to customers, as it's a bit too small. Perhaps you could stop there and maybe help out a little in the pub until the baby comes. Nothing in the way of heavy work of course, just maybe a little light work in the kitchen, a bit of food preparation, chopping vegetables, making sandwiches or whatever, in exchange for the rent. Stuff you can mostly do sitting down."

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However, when they got to The Leaky Cauldron they found that the room Tom had available was completely unsuitable for the heavily pregnant Merope, since it was in the attic, up several narrow and winding flights of stairs. For a woman due to give birth within weeks at most it would be totally impractical. It seemed that just as in the religious story, there would be no room at the inn.

As they sat gloomily together in the bar Merope said, "Well thank you anyway Horace, and thank you too Tom, but it won't work out. It looks like it's back to the old wrecked house for me."

"I won't have it!" Insisted Horace loudly and passionately. If we can't find you somewhere decent to live then you're jolly well coming home with me my girl! You can stay at my flat in Muggle Soho for a while, at least until the baby comes. Then the Ministry authorities will have a statutory obligation to find you a place. My place won't be ideal as it's only a little one bedroom flat, but at least the access is straightforward, just one short and fairly wide flight of straight stairs to the first floor. Plus being an old building there's a decent sized floo that I've magically modified to be large enough to get connected to the network. The mediwitches and midwives can easily visit and we can get you back to St. Mungo's if needs be. You can have the bedroom and I'll transfigure the living room couch into a bed at night and sleep there. After the baby is born we'll get you settled somewhere you can call your own.

"Oh thank you, thank you Horace," Merope cried, overcome with joy, and threw her arms around him, leaking tears onto his shoulder. "You're my guardian angel."

And when and if you want to go back to work come and see me Merope," Tom chipped in. "I'm sure I'll be able to find you something, either here or elsewhere in the alley as I know most of the people who own the businesses here, they're my customers after all," he smiled.

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It was a few days later and Merope had happily settled into Horace's little flat. Thanks to the potions she'd taken she now felt very much more well, and within the limitations of her pregnancy was even able to give a little help around the place, a bit of gentle dusting, tidying and cooking their evening meal etcetera, whilst Horace was working at the shop.

That evening Horace came home and they were having a lovely meal together, Merope being a very good cook, despite the unjustified insults of her vile father and insane brother. Then something Merope had said the day they'd met came back into Horace's mind. "Merope," Horace said questioningly. "I just remembered you said when I met you that you have a Gaunt family heirloom in your possession. If it is valuable and you still want to sell it perhaps we could get it assayed by a friend of mine in the Alley."

"Well I was hoping one day to pass it on to my child, but perhaps it best that it at least be checked out, if you're sure you can trust this person you know. By the way, it is not just a Gaunt family heirloom, it is a gold locket, reputedly once owned by Salazar Slytherin himself." Some faint ghost of the old Gaunt pureblood pride appeared on Merope's face as she spoke these words.

She went on, smiling faintly to say, "Technically I suppose my father and brother would say that I stole it when I ran away from them, but I saw it as just payment for all the years of abuse and slavery I had to tolerate whilst I was with them."

You mean to tell me that it's a possibly genuine Slytherin artefact! And to think you were sleeping rough in Knockturn Alley, when all the time you had that with you! Have you any idea what such a thing is worth if it is verified as genuine? A fortune my dear Merope, a positive King's Ransom! We must visit my friend Alan at his jewellery shop in the Alley tomorrow and show it to him. Although his is just a normal witches and wizards jewellery shop, whilst we were at school he became very interested in ancient magical artefacts and jewels. Indeed Alan was one of the few Hogwarts pupils who would willingly his spend some of his spare time talking with the ghost of Professor Binns, about the stories and legends relating to such things."

Horace went on, "If Alan says there's a good chance it's real then we'll have to bite the bullet and go and show it to Binns himself. He might be the most boring ghost in the world but his expertise in such things is second to none. Few individuals could afford to buy such a thing even if you wanted to sell it, but the Ministry and Hogwarts museum combined would bite your hand off in order to add it to their small collection of founder's items."

XXXX

Horace and Merope flooed into The Leaky Cauldron the next morning and made their way to Horaces' friend's small jewellery shop in Diagon Alley. Alan Winter took one look at the locket Merope showed him and went white as a sheet. The locket was, his gut feelings told him, very old, perhaps a thousand years or so. It was early medieval in style and had a serpentine pattern on it's lid, marked out by inset emeralds. From legends Professor Binns had told him Alan certainly believed that this could well be the real thing, Salazar Slytherin's actual locket!

Merlin's Beard! He exclaimed, after staring silently at it for several seconds. "How did you come by this?"

Merope and Horace told Alan the story of Merope's ancestry and the family legend attached to the locket. Upon hearing this Alan said, "Well I know a spell that will reveal the thing's approximate age, but as to if it actually is Slytherin's, well only Prof' Binns is qualified to judge that."

"Anyway," he said pointing at the shop counter, "Put it on that small velvet cushion there and I'll have a go at dating it."

Merope gingerly placed the locket on a small black velvet cushion on the shop counter, asking Alan as she did so, "Are you sure what you're going to do won't harm it?"

Alan smiled reassuringly at her, saying, "Don't worry, it's just a small variation on a Revellio Spell. It's something we magical jewellers have used for centuries and nothing has ever been damaged by it."

Having reassured Merope, Alan made a complicated pass over the locket with his wand, whilst quietly mumbling a spell, which the other two assumed was a trade secret. As soon as he completed the final pass the air around the locket began to glow with a visible blue aura, the exact colour of which Alan then checked against a sort of colour chart he'd pulled out from the counter drawer.

He calmly put the chart down, then whooped in jubilation, grabbed hold of Horace and Merope around their shoulders and started jumping up and down between them. However, he soon stopped when he realised that Merope was in no condition to join him in his celebration.

"It's bang on, as far as I can tell! Unless my eyes are going dodgy that exact shade of blue places the locket smack bang in the middle of the Founder's Era! What's more, you'll be pleased to know, that even if it's not Slytherin's then at that age it's still very valuable anyway!

Alan handed them the colour chart which was made of what looked like transparent coloured cellophane in a graduated blue and let them look through it to compare the colour next to that of the locket's glowing aura. Both Merope and Horace agreed that the colour matched the time line on the chart. They looked at each other somewhat awestruck as Alan said "Finite Incantatum", thus ending the spell and returning the locket to it's normal state. He then turned to the couple and smiling he said, "We'll we all know what we need to do next. It'll be nice to see the old Prof' again."

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"Why, if it's not my favourite ex-pupil Mr Winter and his two friends! Come in, come in my dear young people, I couldn't believe it when I got your owl, Alan. Bless my soul it's good to see you back at Hogwarts my boy." The pale, ghostly figure of Professor Binns said happily as he ushered them into his office, located at the rear of his History of Magic classroom.

Horace was astonished at how cordial and animated the ghost of the dead Professor was. Especially as his formal lessons were known by all Hogwarts students to be the most stultifyingly boring ones that had to be endured at the school. Most students fell asleep before even getting halfway through each lesson, not that the Professor ever noticed. It seemed however that Professor Binns had formed a genuinely friendly attachment to Alan Winter, probably because he was actually interested in aspects of his subject, and thus was very happy to see him again.

"Poor old sod probably doesn't get many visits from grateful ex-pupils, unlike a lot of the other staff", Horace thought. "Most people wouldn't come back to this classroom if you paid em."

Professor Binns summoned a House Elf from the kitchen to bring them tea and cakes and invited them to sit with him, saying, "My those cakes look tasty, sadly I can't join you, it's the worst thing about my 'condition', but by all means dig in, I do like to watch others enjoying food."

After a minute or two the Professor, who had been watching them eat and drink with a slightly disconcerting longing look on his face, stopped doing so and spoke, saying. "Well my dear Alan, you can understand my astonishment when I read your letter. It sounds like you may have made a remarkable discovery. There are so few verifiable mementos remaining of the Hogwarts Founders, We have the Sword of Gryffindor of course, we also know that Helga Hufflepuff's Cup has been found and will eventually come to us, in the Will of it's current owner. Also of course it is almost certain that Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem is somewhere on the school premises, but as yet still remains undiscovered. Although I myself am dedicating a lot of time researching that very matter and have hopes that one day it may be seen again. The only thing that we had no hope, until now, of obtaining was anything that had belonged to Salazar Slytherin and now you come here with this wonderful news. I can't wait to see this marvel you have brought."

"You won't have to wait any longer Professor," said Alan and signalled Merope to extract the locket from her small bag. She withdrew it wrapped in a Slytherin Green velvet cloth, unwrapped it and struggling slightly to get out of her seat went to place it on a small table next to the ghostly Professor. However, he asked her to hold it up close to him and as it drew nearer his eyes he looked at it in increasing awe, obviously becoming more and more convinced it was genuine.

"By Merlin! I think it's real," he eventually said. "But just to confirm would you kindly please bring me that copy of Beringer's Magical Antiquities from the shelf over there please Mr. Winter. Yes, that's the one, could you open it at page sixty three please and place the locket and the book on my desk next to each other."

Walking through his own desk, absent-mindedly, Professor Binns sat in the chair on the far side and read the book's description of Slytherin's locket and also compared the one they had brought with the illustration on the page.

After a long pause he spoke saying, "This text and picture were copied from an old medieval parchment manuscript which was found at the ancient Overscote Monastery by Professor Beringer. He was a wizard who was secretly working with a Muggle archaeological dig, some fifty years ago. The parchment was discovered in a sealed stone jar, buried in a surviving wall at the site of the old monastery and has been dated as being contemporaneous with the Founder's Era. The text and illustration in this book are an exact facsimile of that found in the manuscript."

Professor Binns continued speaking calmly, but was beaming, his ghostly form shining brightly with energy. He said, "I would advise you all to come and take a look at this book for yourselves, as I believe it confirms that this is indeed Salazar Slytherin's locket. Congratulations all of you!"

The three young people cheered and Alan even made the mistake of trying to hug his old Professor, in the process probably getting a little 'closer' to him than he ever really wanted to. However, once the Professor had 'extracted' himself from his former star pupil Merope gently coughed, to attract the attention of all present.

"Sorry," she said, "To put a bit of a dampener on this celebration, but as you can see I've also put a bit of a 'dampener' on your office floor Professor. I'm afraid my waters have just broken and so I think we'd best carry on this party at another time."

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**Epilogue One. St. Mungo's, the next day.**

Merope lay in her hospital bed holding her baby son lovingly in her arms. Around the bed were Horace, Alan and Tom the young barman who had just arrived from The Leaky Cauldron, with flowers for Merope and a bottle of the finest Muggle champagne, to 'wet the baby's head' as he put it.

As soon as it had become evident that Merope had gone into labour, and since she was a first time mother Madame Reese, the Hogwarts Matron, decided it was best that she be transferred to St. Mungo's, just as a precaution. As it turned out it was a wise decision, as her baby had presented breech and it was as well that an experienced team were on hand to deal with the situation. However, all was well and Merope now had a fine, sturdy, young son to hold.

"So Merope," said Horace, once the general congratulations and admiration of the child were over. "You once said you'd be calling the kiddy after his or her father, Tom or Thomasina Riddle, does that still hold true."

"Generally yes," smiled Merope, but with a few modifications. My son's father is called Tom Riddle and that will be his name. As I said I want no more Gaunts in this world. However _this_ particular Tom is also named for you, my good friend, she said smiling at the barman of The Leaky Cauldron. And his full name will be Tom, Horace, Alan, Riddle," she said smiling at the three most important men in her new life. Tom and Alan left a little later, but Horace Slughorn stayed on chatting with Merope and her son for a while longer until the midwife came and took the baby from her to let her sleep.

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A couple of days later Horace came back to visit Merope and learned she would be sent home by that weekend. The Mediwitches had been keeping her at St. Mungo's, as they were a little concerned she had been suffering from a slightly irregular heartbeat and blood pressure problems since the birth of her son, but it now seemed to be settling down fine.

Happy she was getting better Horace smiled at her and said. "You know Merope, you and I could get married, It'd certainly be convenient, but to be honest I don't think I'm the marrying type," And he winked at her making it fairly obvious what he meant.

"Oh don'tworry, I knew that the moment I met you Horace, but then neither am I any more," smiled Merope in reply. I've already had one false marriage in my life and that's enough. We'll just have to agree carry on loving each other as dear friends. And on that subject Master Tom Riddle here will need a Godfather, would you please be so kind as to do the honours?"

"It would be a pleasure my dear," smiled Horace. "Now hurry up and get strong. We need you and your son out of here, so we can go house hunting for you and spend some of that ridiculously huge finder's fee the Ministry and Hogwarts will be paying for Slytherin's Locket. Even split three ways with your vile relatives, as was thrashed out at the Ministry, it's still oodles of dosh as the Muggles say.

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**Epilogue Two. King's Cross, eleven years later.**

Tom Horace Alan Riddle lovingly hugged his Mother and his Godfather then proudly boarded the Hogwarts Express, along with several friends he had made at a weeks magical summer camp he'd been to the previous month. In asking his mother's permission to go to the camp he had pointed out, a little 'tongue in cheek', that it would be good practice for her to get used to his absence when he was at Hogwarts.

Now that hoped for and dreaded day had come and her beloved son was headed off with his friends on their new adventure, their first term at Hogwarts. The whistle blew and the splendid scarlet train slowly pulled out of the station, swathed in steam. Waving and blowing kisses to Tom through the window from the platform Merope couldn't help but cry, but they were a mixture of sad and happy tears. Her dear friend Horace, who had always been very close and supportive to Tom and herself, had come with her to see him off and give her a shoulder to cry on.

He hugged her gently and said, "Cheer up soppy, you'll be getting an owl from him this evening to let you know which house he's been sorted into. He's as brave as a lion, as well as brainy, so it's my best bet it'll either be Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, although personally I'm biased and I'd prefer it to be my old house, Slytherin. In any case I'll be there tomorrow to keep an eye on him. Plus it'll be the Christmas holidays before you know it and he'll be back home. Let's go and get a butterbeer at The Leaky."

They dissapparated direct from the platform to the courtyard of the pub, entered by the rear door and said hello to Tom who was working behind the bar.

After chatting with him for some time and telling him about Tom junior leaving for Hogwarts, Horace and Merope went and sat down at the quiet table that over the years had become 'their spot'.

"You know Merope, we're just like old lovers," Horace smiled.

"I'm the wrong gender hon," Merope replied returning his smile. "Anyway I thought Dumbledore was your latest crush," she said, winking and poking her tongue out at him.

"Oh he is, you're so right, every time I see those gorgeous blue eyes I just swoon." Horace smiled at her, and placing the back of his hand against his forehead he faked a faint.

"You never were any good at doing 'camp'," Merope laughed.

Horace smiled at her and fake lisped in reply, "Ooh I know deary, that's my greatest failure, I'm way too butch," then smiled and went back to his normal voice. "But as to Albus, why do you think I agreed to take that junior teaching job as assistant Potions Master, when I'm a much better potioneer than Smethurst? The trouble is that though I love an older man I don't think Albus is 'actively bent', unlike like me."

"Oh well, at least you'll be there this term and get the chance to find out," Merope smiled. I think it's a good joke on our part not to have told Tom you'll be working at Hogwarts this year. Imagine his face when he finds out! It's lucky he's got a good sense of humour."

"Funny how things work out isn't it," Horace mused, taking Merope by the hand. "Who'd have thought the weird looking, poor, starving, sick and 'knocked up' waif I found in this very pub all those years ago would blossom into such a wonderful woman and mother, with such a marvellous son. Who'd have thought that a homosexual man, like myself, could love a woman as deeply as I do you. Who'd have thought that the beginning of that love would result in the discovery of a precious artefact lost for a thousand years, and that the discovery of that same artefact would make you a wealthy woman. I read somewhere once that life is like a kaleidoscope, one small twist and the pattern that emerges can become beautiful. I guess that between the two of us we must have twisted our kaleidoscope just the right amount."


End file.
